Wine, One Month and Counting!!

I’m an inconsistent blogger but a consistent runner.  Don’t take my lack of blog posts as an indication that I’ve stopped running.  Quite the contrary.  It is now one month to the 2014 Bank of America Chicago Marathon and I am ready.  This past Monday, I finished a 23 mile training run and have one more 20 miler to complete before the marathon.  None of it seems impossible anymore, it DID seem impossible just a few short months ago.

It was just a year ago that I started working with a running coach.  And, here it is a year later, and I have run a full year without injury and am about to complete my first marathon.  I no longer use the running coach but she really helped me establish the foundation and understand the power of consistency.  I will be forever grateful for her guidance.

Marathon training really is about the mental work.  Sure the longer distances are hard on the body, but the harder thing (especially for us slower runners) is the hours on the pavement.  It is so easy to pose the question “why the heck am I running for 3, 4 or 5 hours?” and convince yourself to quit.  Through each of these moments, you have to reach deep into yourself and remember the desire to reach the finish line and have a medal put around your neck.  Getting past each of these moments is an accomplishment in itself.  Looking back over my training, I see that I have done the half marathon (or more) distance 7 times since June 30^th, with many of these being WAY over the half marathon distance.  I find it funny that I now think of a 10 mile run as being kind of short.  It was just a short time ago when I would read about someone running 8 miles and feel kind of jealous of their ability to go that far.  

Two weeks ago, I ran in the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon in Carlton, OR.  This was my first “travel to” run and we built a vacation around it.  The premise for the run is to run a half marathon in Yamhill wine country and then taste wine from local vineyards at the after party. 

Amazing Sunrise over Mt. Hood

The run is relatively flat, though as a flat lander from Illinois I found the rolling hills challenging, and goes through some beautiful valley landscape and past lovely vineyards and a monastery.  The highlights of the run were one, the start at Stoller Vineyards and the beautiful sunrise over Mt. Hood and tow, the two older women standing at the end of their rural driveway cheering the runners on.  For some reason, this really tickled and motivated me.  I finished in 2:45, not a PR by any means but not too bad considering the hills, the warm last half and that damn 1 mile of gravel.   The finisher’s medal is a lovely, heavy coaster commemorating the run.  It felt great to have it around my neck.

Part of the race admission goes to receiving a large, red wine tasting glass.  Then after the race, 27 vineyards were gathered to give tastings of their wine.  This region is primarily growing and making Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.  Each vineyard had multiple wines and was more than willing to share multiple pours.   When I signed up for the run, I bought my husband a ticket for the after party.   A little later I thought “he won’t be interested in drinking wine at 9:30 AM on a Sunday” but he quickly got in the spirit.  It was a beautiful, warm morning and the town of Carlton really treated us well.  The after party went on until about 12:30 PM and Tim Wilson from Dennison Cellars was willing to pour until they shut him down.  Dennison’s wine is fabulous and if you’re ever in Oregon Wine Country seek him out.  He doesn’t have a tasting room but his wine is available at Horseradish in Carlton and other restaurants in the area.

While we were in Carlton, we stayed at the Carlton Inn.  We had stayed there last year on another trip and just loved the owner, Karen’s, hospitality.  Karen is a fabulous cook and the rooms are lovely.  We so enjoyed our stay and the other people staying at the Inn.  On Monday morning, all of us runners compared our race experiences over breakfast.  It made me think of golfers after a golf outing reliving every shot!

Now, it is on to the Chicago Marathon.  This will be a totally different, big city experience on my own home turf.  One of the biggest marathon events in the world.  I am excited and nervous but I know that I’m ready.  Bring it on!

What have you been training for and are you ready?